GWU seeking new COLA, less tax on fuel

The GWU today called for a revision of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to adequately reflect the living conditions of the workers.

The COLA needed to be based on the national average wage as calculated by the NSO, Union General Secretary Tony Zarb said in a press conference about the union's Budget proposals.

Furthermore, he said, cost of living wage increases should be given every six months and not backdated by a year, as was happening now.

The Times reported a few weeks ago that the COLA wage adjustment this year is expected to be €4.66.

Asked if this was too high from the employers' point of view, Mr Zarb said costs went up for everyone, including the workers, and employers had not complained when the increase was just €1.66.

In other points, Mr Zarb said the union was proposing:

A reduction of tax on fuel;

A revision of the minimum wage;

Maternity leave for self-employed women; 

Incentives for job creation in Gozo,

Government action to stop exploitation of workers and to directly employ workers working in its hospitals rather than using their services through private companies as very low salaries;

A crackdown on the exploitation of foreign workers;

Diversification of the economy.

Mr Zarb said the government is due to hold a meeting about the Budget with the MCSD on Friday.

He said the government's pre-budget document had ignored the impact of the Libyan crisis on Malta, the situation in Air Malta and the eurozone problems.

It needed to be ensured, he said, that the banks provided local industry with easier access to finance.

The government, he said, needed to come up with a manpower plan which assessed the current situation, the skills needed in the future and the impact of situations such as immigration and Maltese workers moving abroad.